Dosing Pump Questions

[mattdean]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Love my SA3.

Right now I only use 8mL of Ca and 12mL of Alk per day. I only need to adjust Mg for new water and barely ever have to add it to the display. Currently I don't use the 3rd channel.

How big is your tank? 8ml of Ca? I dose 14ml 12 times a day!

[lastlight]

system is about 110g but I only have tiny sticks right now =)

They might be higher and more balanced if I didn't do 10g water changes weekly with a salt that is high in both but especially in Ca.

[mattdean]

Originally Posted by lastlight

system is about 110g but I only have tiny sticks right now =)

They might be higher and more balanced if I didn't do 10g water changes weekly with a salt that is high in both but especially in Ca.

What salt are you using? I have a 125 and almost exclusively frags, however, a LOT of frags and LPS as well. Things are growing very well in the tank and I assume this is why I need so much CA and Alk, however, I can never get my Ca above 400 and alk above 9. So I woudl LOVE to find a salt that can boost my parameters and require less dosing. I do 15 to 20 gallon water change weekly, by the way.

[lastlight]

Reef Crystals.

Calcium is always like 480+ and the Alk I think is around 10 or 11?

I stopped testing both in new water because they are elevated and I can't do anything about that. Mg is always between 1100 and 1250 though so I dose a lot to it to hit 1400.

I'm always around 420, 8, and 1400 but lately have had to test weekly to adapt to the Alk consumption as it's gone up.

Also...where is your build thread? SHAME!

[mattdean]

Interesting. I switched to D-D H2Ocean from Reef Crystals. maybe I should switch back. Darn! I just bought two pails

[lastlight]

Not to hijack the thread but I was looking to avoid elevated salt levels in the future. I missed a few changes and my levels dropped because I have a 10g change factored into my dosing. I'd love a salt with target levels for all 3 but that's asking for a miracle.

[kien]

I have a 4 head unit and only use two of them (Alk and Calc). I intended to use the 3rd one for Mag but I never get much of a depletion from Mag. It seems to replenish itself with the weekly water changes from my IO salt. I find that a little strange but it is what it is.

[xtreme]

You could always buy the SA3 now and add a fourth pump down the road if you find you have a use for it. About 100 bucks for the add on pumps. And yes they are great units, very easy to set up.

[lastlight]

Only thing I've seen that may be a concern (and would be regardless of type of doser I imagine) is that one of the solutions is sorta precipitating at the end of the tubing. Forms sort of a shell so I clean it with a toothpick every couple days. Anyone else see this? I spread my 8 and 12 mL doses into 1mL increments so maybe it's so little that it does this.

[mark]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Only thing I've seen that may be a concern (and would be regardless of type of doser I imagine) is that one of the solutions is sorta precipitating at the end of the tubing. Forms sort of a shell so I clean it with a toothpick every couple days. Anyone else see this? I spread my 8 and 12 mL doses into 1mL increments so maybe it's so little that it does this.

could you submerge the ends of the tubing?